On Wednesday afternoon, the Broncos decided to bench Russell Wilson. After being upset by the New England Patriots, Denver waved the white flag and decided that Wilson’s time in Denver was over. After two years of large highs and some of the lowest lows, the Broncos organization has failed. Because they have failed, this team will continue to be stuck in a limbo of mediocrity. As they continue their never-ending search for a competent quarterback, the Broncos fans will suffer and their young stars will waste their careers.
Another Quarterback Failure Has Crippled The Broncos Organization
Russell Wilson’s End In Denver
In March of 2022, the state of Colorado was in disbelief when their quarterback woes were finally answered. After six straight years without a solid quarterback, the Broncos traded for future Hall of Famer, Russell Wilson. The city could take a deep breath, a player who had destroyed them in a Super Bowl and had only one losing season was taking the helm in Denver. The Broncos may have given away all of their draft picks and a few of their most solid players, but that didn’t matter. All was good in Denver, and the Broncos were going to win Super Bowls!
That didn’t happen. The two years that have proceeded have been failures. Not only have the Broncos not won a Super Bowl, they haven’t made the playoffs. In his first year in Denver, Wilson had 16 touchdowns and 11 interceptions paired with only five wins. His head coach at the time, Nathaniel Hackett, was fired in a record-breaking 15 games. After that season, people had written Wilson off and assumed he had lost all touch with his previous abilities.
But, in February of 2023, the Broncos organization traded for Sean Payton. As the new head coach, he felt confident that he could help Wilson. Through the 15 games he has coached, Wilson looks much better. Wilson has 26 touchdowns and only eight interceptions. Yet, the team can’t seem to win when it matters most and are more than likely out of the playoffs. So, because of the failure and the outrageous amount of money Wilson is worth, the Broncos organization has decided to bench Wilson for the rest of the year. In March, they are expected to cut Wilson. The next step for Wilson is to find a new home in the NFL.
What This Means For The Broncos Organization
Now that it’s over, the Broncos will have to reap the consequences of what they sowed. The Broncos will owe Russell Wilson $39 million in 2024 whether he is on the team or not. The year after, they will owe Wilson a little less than $50 million whether he is on the team or not. This means, that for the next two years, the Broncos will have a total of $85 million in dead cap space.
This will completely cripple the team in offseason spending, making it almost impossible to be competitive in the free agent market. With the quarterback situation being as bad as having Jerrett Stidham as the starter, the Broncos seem to be doomed. The carousel of quarterbacks is bound to continue. Yet, with all of the negativity, there are some bright spots.
After trading away their last two first-round picks, the Broncos will finally be able to pick in the top 20 this year. At the moment, they are picking 14th overall. The 2024 draft is filled with talent at the quarterback position. There’s a high chance that one of them could fall to the Broncos. The Broncos also have blooming stars. As players like Nik Bonitto and Jaleel McLaughlin make their mark as future stars, there is hope that Denver can mold a young quarterback around them.
For now, Broncos Country should feel angry. Their organization and general manager have let them down once again. Their decisions will cripple the Broncos for years to come and continue the cycle of mediocrity. Yet, they should also feel some excitement. The high draft picks and young stars in Denver may be able to overcome their management in the next few years and finally get the Broncos back to relevancy. Only time will tell.
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